From the river town of Le Sueur to the county seat in Le Center, much of Le Sueur County was settled in the 1850s and 1870s. Many families still live in multi-story farmhouses and early-20th-century homes built long before single-level ranch layouts became common. In those houses, the bedrooms and the only full bath are often up a full staircase.
We install stair lifts across all 8 towns in the county, including Montgomery, Waterville, Elysian, Cleveland, Kasota and Heidelberg, and in the farm country between them. This page covers which kind of lift tends to fit local homes and which Minnesota and VA programs may help with the cost.
A farmhouse or an early-20th-century town home usually has one main staircase between floors. If that staircase runs straight from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is the simplest fit. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so old plaster stays untouched.
Older homes also tend to have narrow stairs, a landing partway up, or a turn at the top. Those need a curved rail built to the shape of your staircase. We measure every step on the first visit so you know which type you are dealing with before any money changes hands.
Split-level homes are common here too. Each run of stairs is short, but you may have two of them to reach the bedrooms and the lower family room. Sometimes one lift on the run you use most is enough; sometimes it takes two.
Townhouses often have a straight flight to the second floor, which suits a straight lift well. In a walk-up apartment, the stairs may be shared, so talk with the building owner before planning anything. For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is the option to ask about.
About 85.8% of county residents live outside incorporated cities, spread over 474 square miles of rolling hills, lakes and ponds along the Minnesota River. Many farm homes have porch or deck steps that matter as much as the indoor stairs. Outdoor stair lifts are built for weather and can handle those entry steps.
Living far from town also means in-home care and medical transport can take longer to arrive. Being able to get up and down your own stairs safely keeps more of daily life at home. In the county, 17.5% of residents are 65 or older and 74.2% own their homes, so a lot of people here are planning to stay put.
Minnesota's Elderly Waiver lists home modifications as a covered benefit for people who qualify, and it is the clearest route to help for a stair lift. Apply through a county Long-Term Care Consultation by calling (800) 333-2433.
Minnesota Housing loans through Minnesota Valley Action Council (MVAC) can fund accessibility improvements, though stair lifts are not named on their pages. Each program is summarized below.
A Medicaid waiver for Minnesotans 65 and older who qualify for Medical Assistance and need a nursing-facility level of care; home modifications are a listed benefit, with a 2026 income limit of $2,982/month and an asset limit of $3,000 for a single person. Call (800) 333-2433 to start through the county Long-Term Care Consultation.
A deferred loan of up to $37,500 for low-income homeowners that is forgiven if you keep living in the home for the loan term, and it covers accessibility needs for a household member with a disability, though stair lifts are not named. Call (651) 296-8215; locally it is delivered through MVAC.
A below-market-rate loan of $2,000 to $75,000 with terms up to 20 years, and the accessibility track has no income limit; accessibility improvements are eligible, but stair lifts are not named in the source. Call (651) 296-8215 or ask a participating lender or MVAC.
The local agency that handles the state RLP/ELP and Fix Up loans for Le Sueur County residents and lists accessibility improvements as eligible; stair lifts are not named by product. Call the Le Sueur County office at (507) 357-4246.
A free information and counseling line for Minnesotans 60 and older and their families; it is a referral service, not a cash benefit, and the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 333-2433.
The county office that helps veterans and their dependents file claims for state, federal and local benefits; its page does not name stair lifts, but it is the local place to start a VA housing grant application. Call (507) 357-8279.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home; the source names ramps and wider doorways but not stair lifts. Call the county veterans office at (507) 357-8279 for help applying.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands; stair lifts are not named in the source. Call (507) 357-8279.
A grant for SAH- or SHA-eligible veterans living temporarily in a family member's home, up to $50,961 or $9,100 (FY2026), with no home ownership required; stair lifts are not named. Call (507) 357-8279.
A nonprofit serving people of all ages with disabilities in southern Minnesota's Region 9, offering assistive technology, a device lending library and ramp consultation; stair lifts are not listed. Call (888) 676-6498.
Older adults
10 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 3, Mankato, 56001
Veterans
88 S Park Avenue, Le Center, 56057
Usually, yes. A straight staircase takes a straight lift, while stairs with a landing or a turn need a curved rail made to measure. We check the width, turns and landings on the first visit.
Home modifications are a listed Elderly Waiver benefit for Minnesotans 65 and older who qualify for Medical Assistance and need a nursing-facility level of care. Approval is case by case. Call (800) 333-2433 to start.
The Minnesota Housing Fix Up Accessibility Loan has no income limit and lends $2,000 to $75,000 for accessibility improvements. Stair lifts are not named in the program source, so ask MVAC at (507) 357-4246 whether your project qualifies.
The VA Temporary Residence Adaptation grant lets SAH- or SHA-eligible veterans adapt a family member's home without owning it. Stair lifts are not named in the source, so call the Le Sueur County Veterans Service Office at (507) 357-8279 to ask.
The MN Senior LinkAge Line at (800) 333-2433 offers free counseling for people 60 and older and their families. The Minnesota River AAA in Mankato can also be reached at (507) 389-8879.
Many rural homes here have porch or deck steps. Outdoor stair lifts are built for weather, and for a wheelchair user who cannot move to a seat, a platform lift may be the better fit.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
